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*** THE ALIYAH REVOLUTION ALBUM ***

Wednesday, January 21, 2004

The French Connection


I was on the A train this morning on the way to work, reading Howard Sachar's A History of Israel: From the Rise of Zionism to Our Time. A guy from France, who looked about my age, noticed the book, and asked me, "What do you think of the Palestinian?" French people often leave off final consonants, so he might have said "Palestinians," but I decided to be annoying and ask, "Which Palestinian?"

The conversation proceded until we both got off at Broadway-Nassau. He shared with me a jumble of concerns about Israel. His first was, why are Jews a nation with a country, when Christians and Muslims are not? It's actually an interesting question. I told him how Jews have always defined themselves as a religion and a nation, connected to the land of Israel, and that throughout our dispersion, we always prayed for our return. As for Christians and Muslims, I don't know why they don't have a land. (Yes, I know there are many Christian and Muslim countries, but the particular countries are not specific to the religion.) I've seen the suggestion that the very idea of a national state, a state with a national purpose, is a Jewish idea. But, we moved on to other things.

He was concerned that Jews moved from Europe to Israel and stole houses from Arabs. I told him that even though there were a few hundred thousand Arabs there, there was still plenty of room for Jews to build new houses - no one was kicked out. Then, he was concerned that you can't criticize Israel without being labeled an anti-Semite. I said I wasn't labeling him anything, and had no idea what he was talking about. He was concerned that Arabs in Israel don't have the right to vote. I told him he was misinformed.

When we were nearing my stop, I said, "What is your central concern?" He said that he understands that Jews were persecuted in the past, but why must they now persecute the Arabs? I told him that there was a war going on, and we are fighting for survival against terrorists. Then, as he got off the train with me and was headed in the same direction, towards the 4/5 trains, I changed the topic. Here's where it gets interesting.

I told him that France also has a problem with Muslim terrorists. I told him that France has more Muslims than Israel does, and that France may someday have more of a problem with terrorists than Israel does. Like a good European, he blamed himself (France) for not making the Muslims in France welcome, thus causing them to have no choice but to blow things up. At least there wasn't a double standard. He went on to say that most of the Muslims came when France was bringing many foreign workers to France, and now France is having trouble integrating them into French society. He agreed that the Muslims may themselves not want to integrate.

I asked him if he thought that someday, France would become a Muslim country. He said it might. I asked him if that would bother him. He was getting off the train then, but said something to the effect of que sera sera. I would have loved to hear more of his thoughts on this one, but I didn't.

To me, the parallels were very clear. Israel can't really integrate a large Muslim population, and neither can France, nor should either country necessarily want to. The goals of those countries are incompatible with the goals of the Muslim populations. Israel wants to be a Jewish country, and France wants to be a secular, Western, liberal democracy. Muslims goals are different. They don't have to be wrong, just different. And that is why God created Muslim countries - for Muslims to pursue their goals through statehood. Likewise, other countries need to pursue their goals, and integrate immigrants who share those goals. Maybe my French subway companion (whose name I never got) will realize this connection. Probably not. But I tried.






1 Comments:

  • At 7:52 PM , Anonymous Anonymous said...

    Gosh, really sounding ... quite disturbing. Can't you all just be as one? I think I must have a bit of everything in me (if that should matter). So I understand the unmixed breeds of human-animal.

    I don't suppose me mentioning the melting pot has any connotations?

    I've never wanted to seek or posess and identity - so I find it very difficult in understanding why others do. We are all equal and to even have a whiff of thinking that anyone isn't is pure madness and almost seems a schizophrenic illness.

    Come join and dive in head first into the sweet and lovely egalitarian melting pot.

    It's your fore-fathers and previous reins of generations which have messed with your minds. But you can use socratic thought to shake these ill thoughts and ideals from your mind.

    The earth we reside belongs to every living creature. Land should not be owned by anyone in any place on this earth.

    All our Gods would agree with me.

    Spread the word!

     

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